


Quiet Contemplation

by ToTheStarsWriting



Series: The Dragon Wars [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland Friendship, Friendship, Protective Jace Wayland, a brief interlude
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:21:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26245576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTheStarsWriting/pseuds/ToTheStarsWriting
Summary: A brief interlude into Jace's thoughts as he watches Dragons and their Riders train.
Series: The Dragon Wars [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1793539
Comments: 12
Kudos: 174





	Quiet Contemplation

From a quiet little perch at the edge of the cave they were currently calling home, Jace sat with his legs dangling in the open air and watched the dragons flying through the afternoon sky. If someone had asked him once what his life would be like when he got older – this definitely wouldn’t have been it. Hell, there were times Jace hadn’t been sure he’d even _make it_ to this age.

He was pretty sure he could lay the reasoning for that fully at the feet of the man currently standing down by the lake scrubbing at some of the harder-to-reach places on Kyra’s back. It was a familiar, soothing sight. One that Jace had watched time and time again over the years. Seeing it now, seeing the way the two of them were starting to heal a little from recent events, was like a balm over some of the rawer places inside Jace that had formed with Alec's disappearance.

Alec and Kyra did everything together. It didn’t matter what it was. Jace had even watched Kyra track Alec's movements when the guy stepped away from them to relieve himself when they were camping in various places. Even when they weren’t physically close, their bond tied them together tighter than any other bond Jace had ever come across in their life. Even apart, they were together.

Once upon a time, Jace had been taught to think that bonds like that were evil. That it was a perversion of the human race to bond with a dragon. He’d been taught that it didn’t make the Riders heroes, like most of the world thought, but _animals_. Monsters who only held a shell of their humanity left. “They’re just dragons in human skin at that point,” Valentine had taught him. “They gave up who they are to become one with those monsters. There’s nothing human left to them.”

Thinking back on that time left Jace feeling sick. He didn’t like thinking of who he was or the things he’d done. Things he would never be able to make up for.

Being here felt both like a step in the right direction and like the very last thing he should be doing.

They’d been here for almost three whole days now and while in some ways it’d gotten easier, in others it was still difficult. Even those who hadn’t recognized him at first knew who Jace was now. A lot of them watched him like they were waiting for the niceness to fall away and the monster to come leaping out.

Magnus hadn’t gone back on his promise. He didn’t make people socialize with Jace, nor could he really stop the whispers that followed him around, but he didn’t let anyone touch him. Not that they would’ve stood a chance with Alec and Kyra sticking so close to him. No one was dumb enough to piss them off. They might hate Jace – they were _terrified_ of Alec and Kyra.

One of the dragons in the sky broke away from the others, circling down lower until Jace was finally able to make it out for what it was. He recognized the yellow and green colors first, quickly forming into the slender and quick little dragon, Della, with Simon on her back. Della wasn’t exactly a common dragon, not in color or in type. She was long and thin, and probably fit anyone aside from Simon on her, and yet her size and her two sets of wings guaranteed she was _fast_. Which was good because she barely had anything going for her in the way of weapons except her claws. Well, that and her _skill_.

Simon called Della his _little songbird_. Her skill lay in her voice – with screams that could shatter eardrums, or low, haunting melodies that could put anyone around her to sleep. She was smart, fast, and capable of getting away quickly. The two seemed very suited to one another.

The two of them came circling down toward the ledge where Jace was sitting. He stayed where he was and grinned at them as Simon came in for a much smoother landing than he usually did. They didn’t even stumble when they came down in front of the cave entrance.

Jace turned to flash a grin Simon’s way. Talkative though the guy could get sometimes, he was nice, friendly, and didn’t seem to hate Jace, which was a definite bonus around here.

“Better not get too close there,” Jace called out, his grin growing. “You don’t want Alec or Kyra to think you’re getting too close to their home.”

Most dragons were notoriously territorial of their homes. Even ones that were mostly temporary like these ones were. Alec and Kyra? They were more so than most. Even if it was a small patch of grass where Alec laid down the saddle and bags, and Kyra curled around them, that was _theirs_ and only those they approved of were allowed inside. So, pretty much just Jace or Isabelle.

They’d chosen the cave here that was as far away from others as possible, though all of them were pretty well spaced out. But this one also had tall trees near it, and an overhang of some above, meaning that it didn’t get too bright or hot over here. It was full of shadows just the way they liked it.

Simon and Della both glanced back at the cave behind them. Then they _scurried_ forward and away from it like Alec or Kyra was going to leap out right then and there and bite them.

Most people Jace met were scared of Alec and Kyra in one form or another. They’d beg and plead for their help, whisper and judge them for it when it happened, and avoid them like the plague otherwise. It usually drove Jace crazy. But Simon? Simon wasn’t scared of them just because they were some big bad heroes of legend, or because they did things that others wouldn’t. Simon was scared of them because, as he put it, “They could totally kick my ass, man! Have you _seen_ them? Alec looks like he kind of wants to eat me for breakfast!”

It was kind of funny to watch the way Simon squeaked if Alec talked to him, or how he’d scramble away at one cross look from the guy. No one else could see the faint smile Alec got at it, either. They had no idea just how much of a little shit that guy was sometimes.

Jace wasn’t sure if he was amused or offended by the fact that, for all Simon seemed to fear Alec, he didn’t seem to hold any fear toward Jace. Despite the rumors that spread around the world like wildfire, the tales of Valentine’s son that were only half true at most, and outright lies at best, not once had Simon even looked at Jace sideways. Nor did he hesitate to come around him the way that some others did.

Case in point, he came up now and sat down without hesitation right beside Jace, with Della laying down behind him like some perfect little backrest.

“You’re looking awful broody over here,” Simon said, leaning in to bump his shoulder against Jace’s. When Jace turned to glare at him, Simon grinned and held up his hands. “Woah, no, don’t give me that face. I’m not the one sitting on the cliffs brooding before lunch. I kind of thought that whole dark, sulky thing was your brother’s schtick, but you’ve definitely got the look down.”

Normally Jace would be the first one to pick on Alec for being sulky or broody or whatever words people wanted to use. But that didn’t mean he was going to sit back and let someone else do it. Especially not after the things he’d seen Alec go through. If there was anyone who had a right to hate the world it’d be his big brother. Only Alec was way too big-hearted to ever really hate anyone despite the image he put off to everyone. _No, he just hates himself instead._

Those thoughts had Jace’s scowl a little sharper than it might’ve been otherwise. “Maybe he wouldn’t scowl at everyone so much if they didn’t look at him like he’s going to cut their throats in their sleep.”

“People might not think that if he smiled every once in a while,” Della pointed out

“You’ve got no idea what you’re talking about,” Jace snapped. He twisted around so that he could glare at her, too, and maybe he felt a little bad when she so clearly twitched back at that. But, dammit! He was so fucking _tired_ of people making so many damn assumptions!

To his surprise, neither Simon nor Della walked away. In fact, Simon slumped down a little and his expression shifted into one of apology. “Hey, you’re right,” he said, surprising Jace even further. “I don’t know him, and I don’t know whatever he’s gone through. You, either. Sorry.”

Jace stared at him for a moment. He could see the guy meant it. Simon wore his emotions all over his face for pretty much anyone to see. It was no wonder Raphael was so protective of him.

Sighing, Jace turned back to look up at the dragons still flying. They looked like they were lazily going through some basic maneuvers. Raphael sat above them all on the back of his dragon, their scales looking brighter than their normal amethyst. He was clearly watching them all. Jace could tell even from this distance. The way he turned here and there, how he called out every now and again.

From what Jace had been able to see so far it was pretty clear that Raphael was the head of their security around here. He seemed to be good at his job, too. The way he commanded them all, how he slowly moved the group into better forms, it took skill. Skill Jace recognized because he had it, too. Only Raphael had one advantage Jace would never have. _A dragon_.

That thought ached the same way it always did. Deep down inside in the broken, empty places his family tried so hard to fill for him. Places he knew would never be filled. Not ever again.

Simon’s soft voice interrupted Jace’s thoughts, pulling him back out. “You okay?” the kid asked gently. When Jace looked over, he found Simon watching him with a little wrinkle between his brows. “You look like you went somewhere far away there.”

Years of practice had Jace smiling even if he didn’t feel it. He knew how to deflect with the best of them and his masks were seamless. Only his adoptive siblings had ever been able to see beyond what he put up – Alec even more than Izzy. “Yeah, I’m good,” Jace lied easily. “Just enjoying the show.”

Simon either didn’t suspect anything or decided not to call him on it. Either way, he nodded his head and joined Jace in looking back up at the dragons above them. “They do look pretty awesome, huh?”

“Shouldn’t you and Della be up there?”

“Probably.” A grin lit up Simon’s face. “Raph’ll bitch about it later, but he doesn’t mind. Besides, we’ve been working all morning. It’s nice to take a break with a friend.”

The use of the word _friend_ had Jace’s eyes snapping over towards Simon’s face. The kid wasn’t even looking at him; he was just staring up at the sky with that dopey smile on his face. He’d probably never seen the kinds of horrors that Jace had seen. Never lived through anything close to what Jace had lived through. And because of that, people like him inevitably found Jace lacking in some way, or they ended up scared of him.

There was no telling which route Simon would go. But… it’d been a long time since someone had at least put in the effort to try and be his friend. Someone who wasn’t part of their group already, that is. And a small part of Jace, a lonely part, reminded him _what’s the harm in trying?_

Sure, Simon was going to leave eventually, just like everyone else. He’d hear one story too many, or Jace would do something that wasn’t _okay_ , or a million and one other things that always ended up scaring people away. But here? Now? Simon was still innocent enough to look at a monster like Jace and call him _friend_.

Jace tilted his head up to the sky and smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading - be sure to let me know what you think!
> 
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> 
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